AmCham Vietnam Weekly Update - 23rd Week of 2020 - Jun 6, 2020
|
|
|
Executive Director Update
|
|
Colleagues, we hope you are continuing to enjoy our unique almost-normal environment and freedoms. Vietnam continues to receive global recognition for its effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic
- now more than 50 days without community spread!
We also hope you are now getting your regular healthcare checks, as well as getting out and supporting your local restaurants, and local shops, enjoying a staycation at a nearby hotel -- or visiting some of the other beautiful resorts and destinations in Vietnam - free of the usual crowds! I am doing my part to support local businesses, including this week, among others, AmCham member American Eye Center, and AmCham Discount Partners Saigon Spring (sadly now online only), Art World Picture Framing, Le Corto, and Marou (the latter on numerous occasions...).
Early this week, our Tourism and Hospitality Committee was successfully re-launched with a volunteer leadership
team including Colin McCandless, Craig Douglas, Chris Vanloon, and Ken Atkinson. More than 40 representatives from hotels, travel agencies, airlines, restaurants plus others in related businesses joined the June 2 kickoff meeting to learn about industry advocacy efforts, share best practices, network, and discuss ways to promote domestic tourism and business travel and pave the way for safe reopening of international travel. For next steps, we look forward to the June 19 opening of our Da Nang Chapter, a June 24 “Rediscover Vietnam”-themed Connect & Cocktail event, and our next Tourism and Hospitality Committee meeting on Tuesday, July 7. Please contact
Lily Nguyen
for more information. While normally our Committee meetings are member-only, we also will allow non-members to participate again in the July 7 meeting, either physically or virtually.
|
|
This week, we also hosted a farewell reception for outgoing Chairwoman Amanda Rasmussen. With input from many AmCham and U.S. Consulate friends, Vietcetera CEO and Co-Founder Hao Tran created a video to express our appreciation to Amanda. We also presented Amanda a plaque, recognizing her leadership and contribution to AmCham Vietnam-HCMC and the U.S.-Vietnam economic partnership. We all wish her well for her next endeavor in Denmark, and look forward to seeing you again soon!
We welcome new leadership of former Board of Governors Vice Chairman and Mekong Capital Partner Chad Ovel as our new Chairman, and BOG Member and Baker & McKenzie Partner Nguyen Thuy Hang as a new Vice Chair.
And we are delighted to inform you that, thanks to Vietnam's successful management of COVID, we will hold our AmCham U.S. Independence Day Celebration & Community Picnic this year. And this year we will celebrate on the actual Independence Day, Saturday, July 4th. We would welcome your sponsorship in cash, gifts/vouchers for our Lucky Draw, and F&B (especially American ones). This is a unique opportunity to showcase your company's products or services, as well as your delicious food and beverages to key members of the local business community. As we expect to be in high demand on tickets, sponsors will get first priority.
We are a bit behind our normal planning deadlines since we were only recently able to make the decision to go ahead so will appreciate your prompt action. Please c
omplete the
Sponsorship Application Form
and send it to our Events Team NOW to confirm your participation. Please contact Events Manager
Lily Nguyen
with any questions
.
Meanwhile, AmCham Vietnam-HCMC continues to support you as Vietnam reopens and begins its economic recovery. We welcome your feedback at
team@amchamvietnam.com
to let us know how we can serve you better, including what topics you would like to see covered in upcoming events. A summary of recent actions is below:
1. Policy Recommendations.
AmCham Vietnam-HCMC continues to make an impact. Thanks to your feedback and recommendations, and expert advisers in our COVID19 Policy Task Force (Baker & McKenzie's Fred Burke, Nguyen Thuy Hang, Chung Yee, and Nguyen Thanh Vinh; AIM's Mark Gillin; Mayer Brown's Ursula Szotyory-Grove; and Vriens & Co's Sam Pursch) - as well as often Chair of AmCham Hanoi VBF and Legal Committee Nguyen Thanh Hai, we are providing timely, constructive recommendations to the Vietnamese government on both COVID-related and general trade and investment policies. On June 3, Chung Yee, in his capacity as Co-Chair of the Vietnam Business Forum's Investment and Trade Working Group, shared a number of recommendations from AmCham members and other VBF member chambers to improve the overall trade and investment climate and support a strong and sustainable post-COVID economic recovery. We also, together with AmCham Hanoi, submitted a letter to Vietnamese authorities requesting extension of Marketing Authorizations for pharmaceutical products while they are backlogged to ensure continued access to live-saving drugs here in Vietnam. We are also now compiling input to provide the Ministry of Industry and Trade feedback how to make its regulations more efficient and transparent.
2. Contributions of Goods and Financial Contributions by AmCham and our Member Companies to Support the Vietnamese Government's Response.
AmCham Vietnam-HCMC commends the effectiveness of actions taken by Vietnamese Government leaders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is proud of the contributions toward this response made by our member companies. We are delighted to see Vietnam's response finally getting global recognition.
We have launched an appeal for contributions to support donation of a Realtime PCR analyzer to the Fatherland Front for use by the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control in managing its response to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The cost of this device is about $60,000. We already have received $45,000 from the previous appeal and recent contributions, so now are seeking $15,000 more. Both AmCham and the HCMC’s People's Committee want to avoid the lack of transparency issues that occurred in Hanoi CDC with respect to COVID-related equipment acquisitions. Therefore, AmCham's Healthcare Committee and our team have carried out extensive due diligence both for the purchase of the RNA/DNA extractor, and the planned purchase and donation of a Realtime PCR analyzer. If you are able to contribute to this important cause, please Office Manager
Cindy Tran
for additional information.
We also are happy to highlight any COVID-related contributions from our member companies on our social media and with the U.S. Mission. Please email details to
Cindy Tran
.
3. Identifying companies that want to manufacture Personal Protective Equipment for export to the United States.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has asked AmCham for assistance in identifying companies that may want to manufacture PPE for export to the United States. USAID is coordinating this initiative through the LinkSME program. If your company has interest/capability in manufacturing and exporting PPE, please contact Frank Weiand at
fweiand@linksme.org
for more information.
4. Supporting Local Business.
We are happy to see many of our favorite local businesses now reopen, but many are still struggling, and some have been forced to close, at least temporarily. We at AmCham want to support local businesses which contribute so much to our quality of life in Vietnam by inviting them to join our 2020 AmCham Discount Partnership Program. Please consider joining for your company or refer a favorite local business by sending their email address or a copy of their business card to Membership Manager
Sam Hoang
. To our members, please make sure you support our Discount Partners, many of which also offer online shopping or delivery services. Click
HERE
for our Discount Partners information.
5. Supporting Vietnam's Front-Line Workers.
To continuously support the Vietnamese Government in the COVID-19 fight, AmCham Vietnam-HCMC would like to call for your contribution of less perishable food items to some of the front-line workers in Vietnam's hospitals and public quarantine areas. We are working with the Vietnam Fatherland Front of HCMC for this campaign. Contact Office Manager
Cindy Tran
, who can ensure contributions are still welcomed and coordinate delivery. This effort will continue to be important, as Vietnam opens up to more international arrivals.
Please stay well, be safe, stay dry, and enjoy our new normal environment! And feel virtuous supporting local businesses by eating out or taking a vacation. Many of our member companies' wonderful hotels and resorts are offering special deals!!
Mary Tarnowka, Executive Director
|
|
Stay Informed- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak
|
AmCham Vietnam wants to provide a safe environment for events and business networking. We recognize that there is always a risk of a second outbreak, particularly if measures liberalize with respect to international arrivals. We also know that we all have different comfort levels with respect to the changing situation.
[LINK]
In response, AmCham has begun a rating system for all of our events, explained below. We hope this is useful to you in making your own decisions about which events in which you would like to participate. As always, we welcome your feedback at
team@amchamvietnam.com
.
|
|
Stay informed of the latest updates on COVID-19 at https://www.amchamvietnam.com
Some additional tips below from Dr. Mason Cobb, Vice-Chair, and Dr. Andy Meadows, of AmCham Healthcare Committee’s Medical Providers Subcommittee:
Global hotspots for the COVID-19 pandemic shift continually, with Latin America now most active and other areas either declining or stable. The death curve is flattening slightly. Control measures have been variably applied and most countries are opening up their societies and economies, albeit cautiously.
Social life in Vietnam is now approaching something near its pre-pandemic normal. The global spread continues. But borders reopen, travel resumes, and seasons change, increasing the potential for the dreaded Second Wave that always looms large. This COVID-19 pandemic will only end with either widespread herd immunity (approximately 60-70% of the population) or wide distribution of a safe and effective vaccine that plummets case numbers.
A powerful study published this week in a leading medical journal showed the impact of social distancing (1 meter), face masks, and eye protection in significantly impeding person-to-person spread of the virus. The study combined the results of 176 studies across 66 nations and 6 continents. The relative risk reduction or lower chance of spread for each measure was: 82% for face masks; 80% for 1-meter distancing, and 66% for eye protection.
https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(20)31142-9.pdf
One group that has not been widely discussed is children. While some children have experienced profound disease impact, including a rare systemic inflammatory syndrome, most do not experience serious illness. However, children are impacted by this disease in other powerful ways. These include delayed education and routine medical visits – such as immunizations and well-health checks falling behind schedule. Make sure you follow up for yourself and your children now!
While substantial focus is paid to safely reopening businesses and rekindling economic growth, equal consideration must be given to schools to ensure safety. Although children exhibit low rates of serious COVID-19 illness, they may have difficulty adhering to social distancing, hand washing, and mask-wear policies. So, children may play an oversized role in transmission, both at school and subsequently at home.
Although it has been many weeks since community spread in Vietnam, we are still at potential risk. Until there is a widely available vaccine, and especially with relaxation of stringent controls, it is wise to continue safe habits. Be safe and be well.
|
|
9:30-10:30pm, Please register to get the link for virtual attendance.
Event Level Rating: IV
As businesses return to work after the nation quickly rebounds, Vietnam is at the forefront of getting back to work. How occupiers plan and reset their workplaces is all important, implementing this change in workplace strategy is a must.
Join us, AmCham and our experts from CBRE Singapore and Standard Chartered Bank to gain valuable insight into how you can best reset your workplace amid this transitional period.
Presentation in English.
|
|
4:00-5:00pm, AmCham Vietnam - HCMC, Suite 323, New World Saigon Hotel, 76 Le Lai Street, Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: II
We would like to invite you to join
Hybrid Virtual AmCham 101 – New Member Orientation
.
At this new members event, you will learn more from our Executive Director, Mary Tarnowka, about AmCham Vietnam benefits, our mission, and programs to help new members achieve success, and how to get involved in and maximize your investment in AmCham membership. It is also a way to meet other new AmCham Vietnam HCMC members. While this event is designed for new members, we welcome other members on a space available basis.
If you can not join this meeting physically, you can still register to join virtually via Zoom.
|
|
Saturday, July 4th, 2020
11:30am-5:00pm
Riverside Apartments, An Phu, District 2
|
Event Level Rating: I
Join AmCham Vietnam-HCMC's annual Independence Day Celebration and Community Picnic, this year on the actual holiday, Saturday, July 4. This year will celebrate 244 years of American Independence - and the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam.
AmCham's community event will feature a variety of traditional American food and beverage options, including hot dogs, burgers, tacos, fried chicken, pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, and ice cream; soft drinks, beer and wine, along with International and local cuisine.
Enjoy live music all day featuring American rock, pop, blues, and folk. Children will enjoy a terrific kids corner with many fun activities including face painting, and a bouncy castle.
With more of us here in Saigon this summer than ever, we expect this year's AmCham's Independence Day and Community Picnic to sell out quickly. First-priority tickets will go to our sponsors. We will then make them available to our other members. Watch this space - and our emails and Facebook posts!
|
|
 |
Bellavita Luxury belongs to AKA Furniture group, it is proud to be the leading luxury furniture in Vietnam. All furniture is imported. We have 2 showrooms located in HCMC and Hanoi.
We announce the relocation of Bellavita Luxury HCMC at 199C Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien Ward, D.2, HCMC.
The new showroom will be officially opened for you to visit on 06th of June 2020.
We are pleased to welcome you in the new showroom with many surprised!
|
|
|
|
|
Disputes between shareholders are common in today’s business world and may arise in any partnership no matter how carefully the initial plans are drafted. Sometimes, such disputes can be resolved simply by a compromise between the involved parties. Often, however, they can turn into a serious conflict that may substantially hinder or even destroy the business from the inside. Understanding how to effectively navigate shareholder disputes to prevent a worst-case scenario is a necessity for building and maintaining a successful business.
|
|
|
|
Aetna International has today announced that it is partnering with Wysa, a confidential and anonymous mental well-being app and service, as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to address the ‘second curve’ of the COVID-19 pandemic, the less visible but increasing mental well-being crisis
In response to members’ expanding mental well-being needs, Aetna International recently enhanced member access to a range of resources, including its virtual health offering, vHealth, and its Employee Assistance Programme, which provides support from professional clinical counsellors over the phone or face-to-face.
|
|
|
|
Committee Meetings & Activities (For AmCham Members Only)
|
|
9:00-10:30am, AmCham Office, Room 323, New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai Street, Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: II
You can join us virtually or physically. Please register to get the link for virtual attendance.
Monthly meeting to discuss 2020 priorities.
|
|
5:00-6:15pm. Baker & McKenzie (Vietnam) Ltd, 12th Floor, Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan Street, Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: II
You can join us virtually or physically. Please register to get the link for virtual attendance.
Regular monthly meeting of the committee to review upcoming events, discuss and prepare positions on key issues, laws and regulations relating to trade and investment between Vietnam and the United States.
|
|
|
9:00-10:00am, AmCham Office, Room 323, New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai Street, Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: II
You can join us virtually or physically. Please register to get the link for virtual attendance.
Monthly meeting to discuss 2020 priorities.
|
|
|
|
AmCham Premium Membership
|
The AmCham Premium Membership 2020 is a leadership-level membership for companies contributing strategic support for AmCham's mission and programs. Our Premium Membership comes with a range of exclusive benefits. One all-inclusive Premium Membership's annual billing simplifies your businesses' sponsorship efforts.
|
|
|
|
We love our AmCham members! Do you know all the benefits you get with your membership? Maybe you only remember the ones you've used recently, but there are many ways even our basic level members benefit at AmCham.
|
|
|
|
The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam
New World Hotel Suite 323
76 Le Lai Street, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: +84 28 3824 3562
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
